


Roger's POV

by RichardGraysonPercyJackson



Series: The Acrobat and The Mercenary [53]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics)
Genre: M/M, Neighbors, Nosy Neighbors, Roger is nosy, Roger needs to chill, Suspicious, Unrequited Love, and stop calling the police
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-02-23 06:54:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23207431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RichardGraysonPercyJackson/pseuds/RichardGraysonPercyJackson
Summary: Roger and his sister talk about why Roger is so sure Slade is abusing Dick
Relationships: Dick Grayson/Slade Wilson
Series: The Acrobat and The Mercenary [53]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1323779
Comments: 14
Kudos: 249





	Roger's POV

“Roger, for  _ god’s _ sake, stop spying on your neighbors and sit down!”

“I’m  _ telling _ you, Sarah,” Roger muttered as he reluctantly turned and sat with her on the couch. “ _ Something _ is going on in that apartment.”

“Yeah,” Sarah said, chuckling. “Love.”

“The older man is abusive, I can  _ feel _ it.”

“Slade?”

Roger stared. “You know him?”

“Yeah, we shop at the same grocery store every Saturday,” Sarah replied, smiling. “Sometimes Dick is with him but not often.”

“Not often because Slade beat him into unconsciousness before leaving.”

Sarah scowled. “Not often because I go at seven and Slade said Dick doesn’t often wake up before eleven.”

“Because Slade is-”

“Jesus  _ christ _ , Roger!” Sarah cried. “There is  _ nothing _ going on over there, why can’t you accept it? I have seen Dick and Slade together in the park before and they are the cutest couple!”

“That’s because there’s people around and Slade has to pretend to be nice and Dick has to pretend to be happy-”

“I’ve seen them when they think they’re alone,” Sarah cut in, utterly done with her brother’s bullshit. “Slade  _ cares _ about Dick. They’re cute together.”

“You haven’t heard them when they’re having sex,” Roger snapped. “Or when Slade is beating him.”

“No, but I’ve heard you and Morgan have sex when you two were still together,” Sarah fired back. “You two weren’t quiet.”

Roger ground his teeth together. “The situation between me and Morgan was completely different from what’s going on with them!”

Sarah sighed. “I know why you’re doing this,” she said softly. “Why you’re so sure that the older man is abusing the younger one. But their situation isn’t like yours, Roger-”

“I  _ never _ hit Morgan!” Roger shouted.

“I didn’t mean to make it seem like that’s what I was suggesting,” Sarah soothed. “I just meant that you’re trying to protect Dick because you don’t want him getting hurt. I understand why. Your own relationship didn’t work out and you’re jealous. Not to mention that we both grew up in an abusive household where dad was several years older than mom.”

“It’s the exact same situation with Dick,” Roger insisted.

“I know it seems like that,” Sarah said gently.

“You haven’t seen him, Sarah,” Roger snapped. “You haven’t seen the bruises shaped like boots and hands and fists. He has more and more every morning, how else would he get them if Slade wasn’t abusing him?”

“Maybe he’s a vigilante,” Sarah teased, a grin sliding onto her face. “Gotham has a lot and you know Nightwing came over here.”

Roger scoffed. “Dick isn’t Nightwing.”

“Isn’t he?”

“I would have noticed.”

“Would you?” Sarah was still smiling. “You’re still so sure that Slade is abusing him that you’re not ready to accept anything else.”

“Dick isn’t Nightwing he’s…”

“He’s…?” Sarah prompted.

Roger closed his eyes, sighing. “He’s like a flower,” he murmured. “He’s soft and beautiful and  _ fragile _ and the man he’s with is strong and big and aggressive.”

“Like a brick?”

Roger scowled. “Yes,” he drawled. “Slade is a brick.”

Sarah clapped her hands together, laughing brightly. Roger watched her before allowing himself a small smile before sighing.

“Maybe you’re right,” he mumbled. “Maybe Slade isn’t abusing him.”

“See?”

“But he was screaming in  _ terror _ at four in the morning a few nights ago!” Roger insisted. “Why else would he be screaming-”

“He could have been in pain from being a vigilante,” Sarah suggested. “Maybe he dislocated a bone and Slade had to reset it.”

Roger blinked at her, staring. “You’re not going to give this up, are you?” he asked. “You’re going to keep insisting he’s Nightwing until I either agree or stop saying Slade’s abusing him.”

“Yep.”

Roger heaved a tired sigh. “Fine,” he mumbled. “Fine. I’ll let it go.”

“No you won’t,” Sarah pointed out fondly. “You’ll say that and we’ll drop the subject but you’re still going to keep watching them.”

“I need to,” Roger whispered. “I need to make sure Dick knows he has someone he can come to if things with Slade get too bad.”

Sarah sighed. “Okay,” she finally agreed, knowing she wasn’t going to get anything better. “Alright, fine. Just...just  _ stop _ calling the police on them. Please.”

“Yeah, okay.”

Smiling, Sarah reached out to place her hand on her brother’s arm. “Everything is going to be okay, Roger,” she soothed. “If, on the  _ off chance _ , Slade is abusing Dick, I’m sure Dick knows he can come to do.”

Roger smiled and though his concerns were abated for the moment, he later called the police soon after Sarah left when he witnessed (through his peephole) Dick and Slade arriving at their apartment, Slade clearly furious and Dick clearly in pain.

But for the moment, his concerns were abated.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know your thoughts


End file.
